Good news for healthcare: Preliminary work begins on the new Provincia Cordillera hospital

The aim is to reduce the current demand created by more than one and a half million people being treated at the Sótero del Río hospital, which will considerably improve healthcare in the southeastern Metropolitan Region. Health Ministry officials attended the beginning of preliminary work at the new Provincia Cordillera hospital site in the Puente de Alto district.

The officials were led by Health Minister María Begoña Yarza and the Healthcare Networks Undersecretary Fernando Araos. They explained that the hospital building will have a surface area of some 93,000 square meters and will involve an investment of over 168 billion Chilean pesos, as well as a large consignment of equipment and everything required to ensure good healthcare.

The hospital will directly benefit residents of the Puente Alto, Pirque and San José de Maipo districts of Santiago. It will make a profound change to the quality of healthcare provided in this sector. It will have 394 inpatient beds, 48 of which will be used for mental health patients and 48 for people in intensive care. These are very important services for patients.

"This project is addressing a geographical shortfall in the Provincia Cordillera. This new hospital was born from the heart of the population and gives humanity to this tremendous infrastructure (...) It is an example of investment. We must create an integrated, equitable service that focuses on local residents," said Minister Yarza.

The new Provincia Cordillera hospital, together with the new Dr. Sótero del Río medical complex under construction, will considerably increase the capacity of the southeastern Metropolitan Health Service network, which will expand by 32 operating theaters and 400 acute and intensive care beds.

The hospital model will provide 10 operating theaters, 2 for emergency care, 2 for traumatology, 2 for outpatient care and 4 for general care. It will have 57 treatment rooms, 24 chemotherapy chairs, 28 dialysis chairs, and will cater for up to 90 hospital at home treatments.

Construction is scheduled to begin during the second half of 2022 and it is expected to be operational in 2026.

Project history

The Provincia Cordillera hospital was conceived in two stages, the first covered outpatient care facilities at the CRS Provincia Cordillera hospital. This stage was tendered in 2013, construction began in 2014, and it became operational in 2016. It has a surface area of around 21,000 m2.

The second stage of the Provincia Cordillera hospital will be developed as a closed care facility, as it will provide inpatient and emergency services, surgical wards, and clinical support units.

Project development began in 2017 with the tender for its design and construction, which was awarded in July 2018 to UTP SACYR Provincia Cordillera hospital and the design began in February 2019.

The construction permit was granted by the Construction Department of the Puente Alto Municipality in April 2022, and the land was released on June 16, 2022, which triggered the preliminary works.

This project was conceived in conjunction with the new Dr. Sótero del Río medical complex currently under construction. It is based on local health requirements, as it expands local health services and can treat more complex health issues. It anticipates future healthcare requirements and will reduce gaps, such as standardizing the Padre Hurtado hospital and its Primary Health Care Network.

Hospital features